Working 8 hours per day, 5 days per week in front of a computer screen is challenging both physically and mentally. Physically, it is uncomfortable and hard to sit still all day in almost the same position and stare at a computer screen. As a consequence, many people have strain and muscle problems in necks, shoulders and arms. When all work has to take place on a relatively small computer screen, for instance, in control rooms, the limited space is demanding when working with relatively many applications represented by functional interfaces on the computer screen/display. The applications the operators need information about are both, for instance, an overview of the process and detailed information of the current state for specific sub-processes. Examples of additional information represented by functional interfaces such as Microsoft Word windows or views are tables of data and information, trends, maintenance and repair information, reports, ordering systems and working permissions. These functional interfaces are basically provided by two-dimensional (2D) information presentations. All functional interfaces are layered upon each other in a limited area on the desktop display and the user has to use additional equipment, for instance, a mouse or similar, to move functional interfaces around. It is then easy to get lost in the vast sets of functional interfaces spending time to find the right interface.
A further disadvantage is that each user often needs at least one desktop screen in addition to potential projectors as well as large screens, for instance, in control rooms. This is both expensive and space-demanding. When having more desktop screens, the working space is still limited by the physical dimensions of the screens. The fact that each user needs at least one desktop screen in addition to one or more large screens is costly and inefficient.
Augmented Reality (AR) is a method of overlaying real world representations with computer-generated graphics. Ideally, for vision-based augmented reality, the user will not be able to recognize the difference between the real and the computer-generated graphics, and thereby the user will get an improved perception of the real world environment. Today, augmented reality techniques are used in a number of applications. Examples of use are within media, for example weather reporting, medicine, for example visualization of internal organs, for collaborative environments, for example virtual meeting rooms, and in process industries for maintenance, service and repair.
Handheld and wearable control panels with interaction possibilities already exist and the interest in such devices increases.
The use of mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) as the interface towards systems or devices is known. Also, tablet PCs, which are used, e. g. within hospitals, provide an interface that the user easily carries around and interacts with by touching the screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,532 B1 discloses a control for an automotive service system including a pair of goggles incorporating a head-up display which displays the data from the system controller by virtual display in the technician's forward field of vision without blocking his general forward field of view.
WO 2005/066744 A1 discloses a system that enables a user to interact with a virtual control panel using a user controlled pointing object. The system comprises a portable identification element, a tracking unit adapted to capture data representing the position of the pointing object and the position of the identification element, a storage unit, storing at least one pre-defined graphical interface representing a control panel of a device, a graphics unit, generating a graphical representation of the control panel, a registering unit, registering said graphical representation of the control panel in a fixed relation to said portable identification element to produce a virtual control panel and a display unit, showing the user a view comprising the real world and the virtual control panel.
There is a desire to find a method to improve the accessibility of and to switch between many possible technical information/control applications on a desktop and to find more compact lightweight equipment to enable a more ergonomic work place as well as enable working personnel to access difficult locations where only one person can go in a plant while having access to technical information and handle control applications.